Scott County Central boys basketball team rolls into state quarterfinals for eighth consecutive season

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Mo. -- For most of the first quarter, it looked like Thayer would at least threaten to put an end to Scott County Central's seven-year state sectional winning streak.

However, the Braves used a strong second quarter finish and a dominant second half led by Javonta Daniel, who scored a game-high 29 points, to secure their eighth-straight trip to the quarterfinals with a 67-61 victory over Thayer in a Class 2 sectional Friday at Liberty High School.

"We won, so that's the main thing. Any win is a good win," SCC coach Frank Staple said. "I think we came out a little more aggressive. Tonight, it was just a matter of maintaining it. They [Thayer] were just never going to quit because they're a really good team. There's a lot we've got to fix, but we'll do that in tomorrow's game."

Thayer jumped out to a 4-0 lead 1 minute, 7 seconds into the game and led for the next three minutes until SCC put together an 11-7 run, capped by a jumper from Daniel, which tied the game at 11 with 3:18 remaining in the first.

Jeffery Porter gave the Braves their first lead of the game with a couple free throws about a minute later. The two teams traded leads twice over the next two minutes before Zack Horton hit a 3 to give the Bobcats an 18-15 lead with under a minute to go in the first.

The Braves missed on their next possession, but after playing sloppy defense for the first seven minutes, their press started to work, allowing them to force three straight turnovers, which led to a 6-0 run and gave SCC a 21-18 lead at the end of the opening period.

"I was happy with the press. We haven't done it a lot this year, but the last two games it was something that worked for us," Staple said. "I was proud with the way that we came out with that. That kind of allowed us to get a little cushion in the game."

Scott County Central's Javonta Daniel meets Thayer's Zack Horton for the tip off during a Class 2 sectional Friday, March 6, 2015 in Mountain View, Missouri. (Glenn Landberg)

Thayer made a free throw on its opening possession of the second, but turned the ball over four times out of its next five possessions and was held without a basket until the 2:58 mark.

SCC, meanwhile, used an 8-0 run to push its lead to 27-19 with 4:55 left in the first half.

However, a few lapses on defense from the Braves in the final minute of the second allowed the Bobcats to get two quick buckets and cut the lead to 29-24 at the break.

"Our defensive intensity was bad right there. We just weren't playing very good defense all night," Porter said. "We had to try and get back and try and contain them on just about every possession."

SCC came out a lot stronger in the third, using a quick 10-4 run to build its lead to 39-29 with 3:53 left. Daniel scored six points during that span while Porter added four.

After a basket from Thayer's Ayden Henry, the Braves responded with a 13-7 run to take a 52-38 lead, their largest of the game, heading to the fourth quarter.

"Just trying to pressure them, speed them up," Staple said. "One thing we did all night -- we let them get to the basket too much. That's something we'll have to work on for tomorrow, but we got up and worked a little on that in that third quarter."

SCC forced Thayer to commit five turnovers in the third and scored 10 points on the Bobcats' miscues.

Daniel scored 11 points in the third and finished with 17 in the second half.

"I was feeling good. Came out focused on the game," Daniel said. "I don't really know what was going on with me. I guess I just had the hot hand. They kept the ball in my hands, they kept feeding me, so I had to do my part and keep putting up the shots and making things work for us. They trusted me, and I wasn't going to let them down."

Thayer opened the fourth on a 13-6 run to pull within seven with 2:17 to play, but the Braves hit nine free throws down the stretch to escape with a win.

Porter was fouled three times in the final minute and scored six points from the charity stripe.

Scott County Central coach Frank Staple instructs the team in the fourth quarter against Thayer during a Class 2 sectional Friday, March 6, 2015 in Mountain View, Missouri. (Glenn Landberg)

"We want it in his hands when things are getting close and it's getting late in the game," Staple said about Porter. "But at the same time we have confidence in all our guys. So we just told them, 'Be strong, be ready. We're going to have to hit some from the line,' and we were able to hit a few at the end."

SCC will play Valle Catholic in a Class 2 quarterfinal at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Farmington Civic Center. The winner will advance to the final four next weekend in Columbia, Missouri.

"Our goal is always to get to Columbia," Staples said. "That's a doable goal, but to get there we have to shoot like we did in the second half and play a lot better defense. If we can do those things, I think we'll be going to Columbia."

Thayer 18 6 14 23 -- 61

Scott County Central 21 8 23 15 -- 67

THAYER (61) -- Ayden Henry 25, Zack Horton 21, Zyman Langley 7, Braydon Pender 4, Will Tillman 3, Landon Tyler 1. FG 24, FT 10-13, F 15 (3-pointers: Horton 3. Fouled out: Langley.)

SCC (67) -- Javonta Daniel 29, Jeffery Porter 19, Drake Kesler 9, Matt Blissett 7, Tre Moore 3. FG 24, FT 17-23, F 12 (3-pointers: Daniel 1, Kesler 1. Fouled out: none.)